Four Japanese cabinet ministers have agreed to consider Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Okinawa as part of the government’s efforts to make progress in issues related to the southernmost Japan prefecture, including the relocation of the Futenma Marine Corps Air Station.

The agreement was reached at a meeting among Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera and Ichita Yamamoto, minister in charge of issues in Okinawa.  At the meeting, Yamamoto reported that he will visit Okinawa on Friday and Saturday, the first visit to the prefecture by a minister of the Abe cabinet since it was launched late last month.

After the meeting, Suga told a press conference that the government hopes to solve the Futenma base and other issues facing the prefecture through consultations with the people of Okinawa.

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